Brooding and Books: A #TBR To Last You Through the Winter

Coco Mellors’ brooding reflection on the tides of modern connection focuses on a high-society couple and the people caught in their orbit. Through musings on mental health and addiction, Mellors’ characters portray the glitzy underbelly of Manhattan’s elite. 

From one of our favorite authors comes a striking novel of an artist’s unwavering perseverance. A deeply affecting story of the long-lasting impact of heartbreak and what it means to live with it. Perfect for fans of Sally Rooney.

Meg Wolitzer hones in on a group of teenagers in a time of national unrest and examines how dreams, talent, and envy follow each of them throughout their adult lives. Perfect for fans of Donna Tartt and Jennifer Egan.

What happens when you identify with two different cultures and feel like you don’t properly fit in with either? Candice Carty-Williams breaks down this idea of double consciousness through Queenie, a captivating Jamaican British woman at the helm of her debut novel.

Normal People is a poignant and deeply moving story about identity, friendship, and young love. Rooney perfectly captures the loneliness of growing up and the desire to feel understood by peers. Every reader will see a bit of themselves in the vulnerable and fragile natures of Connell and Marianne.

Lies. Deceipt. Treachery. Find it all in Feeney’s happy place—the domestic thriller. A couple celebrating their ten year anniversary has more than a bit to talk about. Can they save their marriage and, better yet, do they want to?

A deeply human narrative of love and art, intimacy and self-destruction. Raven Leilani’s debut novel establishes her as a force to be reckoned with in the literary world through masterful storytelling and a stream of consciousness narration.

The Mythmakers is a powerful debut about the ownership of stories, and who ultimately gets to tell them. This intoxicating novel is for fans of Raven Lelani’s Luster and Lily King’s Writers and Lovers.

The definition of a page-turner. It’s family drama and suspenseful thriller, and it explores deeper themes of found family, love and human connection. This is a title you don’t want to miss.

From the author of Bunny, Rouge is a fun and creepy novel about the dangers of the pursuit of youth and beauty. California sunshine contrasts with a gothic mansion that houses a spa where horrific “treatments” occur. Rouge seeks to expose the darkness that lies beneath the glossy surfaces we love to fixate on; it’s sure to appeal to fans of Melissa Broder, Ottessa Moshfegh and Carmen Maria Machado.

From one of our favorite authors comes an indelible tale of perspective. Groff takes a magnifying glass to one couple’s marriage over 24 years, showcasing both the triumphs and heartbreaks of their love while demonstrating her profound skill for narrating the human psyche. 

Stephanie Danler’s electric debut novel sizzles, following a small-town twenty-something’s introduction to city life, and her education in Manhattan’s finest dining rooms. A necessary novel for those who have been looking for the adrenaline-inducing chaos and heartbreak of The Bear in literary form.